I had a very different post planned today but the blizzard that never was on the northeast took up a lot of my attention these past few days. Like everyone else in the tri-state area, I prepared by battling the grocery store lines (which were not as bad as I expected) and making enough food to feed a small army. Despite the fact that I am trying to ignore the dings coming from my boyfriend’s computer in the other room, I’m determined to make the most of my snow day and get stuff done. Here are a few ways you can be as productive as possible today and some helpful resources so you can learn on your day off. Shut off the TV/radio and stop refreshing your CNN feed. While you’re at it, you might as well close out all the distracting social media sites in your browser, too. How many tweets can you possibly read about #Snowmageddon2015 anyway? Stay up to date on the latest trends in your industry. Some of my social media favorites include Mashable, Hubspot, and Likeable Media. Also Marie Forleo has a kick ass weekly video series that always leaves me inspired. Write and schedule your social media posts in advance for your company Facebook and Twitter pages. Get started with some free online training! There are a TON of sites that offer valuable information and great eBooks for anyone looking to boost their LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter traffic. All you need to do is run a search! Take a break. It’s important to keep the juices flowing and in order to do that...

I love to connect with brands through social media. I feel as though it tells me a lot about a company when they respond to a tweet, like a photo I’ve posted on Instagram, or answer a query on Facebook. There are so many ways that brands can engage with their audience online—and believe it or not, many consumers count on this interaction to make a purchase. Case in point: I rely heavily on calendars and planners in my life, for both personal and professional reasons. While I like to keep track of all engagements in my Google calendar (which syncs to my Gmail account and my phone), I find it helps for me to write out deadlines and dates in a day planner as well. Recently I sent a tweet from my personal account to the company that made my 2014 planner—a simple pocket-sized organizer that I sadly couldn’t find online. I never heard back from the company. Then I turned to Twitter and sent out a tweet asking anyone if they knew where I could find a reasonably priced planner. Despite the fact that I received a favorite (thanks, Art of Power!), this was a failed opportunity to make a sale. A paper product company that can swoop in and help with my request would have also received a pin on Pinterest, a favorite and mention on Twitter, and maybe even a few referrals. Did I mention they would have received at least one sale? It’s actually very easy to find your audience online. One way to do this is by logging in to Twitter and doing...

The most effective marketing campaigns are always the simplest; the ones that convey in few words what the brand is about while leaving a lasting impression. Think of the first few chords, the dancing silhouettes, and that classical music in those moving De Beers commercials; the iconic Clydesdale horses in the Budweiser ads; or even those gut-wrenching ASPCA commercials that beg you to pick up the phone so Sarah McLachlan can stop ruining a perfectly good song with sad puppy dog eyes. What do they share in common? They are all simple. Remember that Marketing 101 class where you learned the rule of KISS (“Keep It Simple, Stupid”)? (Also, relax, no one is calling you stupid.) Over the past few years, marketers have decided to tone down the in-your-face messaging points (“BUY THIS COCA COLA!!!”) in favor of ads with powerful imagery that tug at our heartstrings. Hold the pomp and circumstance; advertisers are now focusing on how companies are either contributing to a greater good OR how a purchase will make you feel good. Think of their messages as bite-sized takeaways for the masses. I noticed just the other day great brand messaging while opening my packaged Dunkin Donuts coffee. Neatly printed across the top of the flavor-sealed bag were the words “mornings are in the bag”—so clever and yet, so pithy! For other examples of great marketing, check out jetBlue (I love their “Flying it Forward” campaign), Dogfish Head and their fun packaging/website, and Trulia for their surprisingly witty contests (like their “Win a Freakin’ House” promo). Here’s a checklist of things you might want to consider...